CID: Heroes of Olympus
by Poesia-Raro
Summary: Everyone knows the CID team as protectors of the city. What they don't know, however, is that all of them are also demigods, and just about to face their greatest challenge as of yet. Guided by a mysterious prophecy, they set out on a quest that promises to be legendary... the question is, will all of them return alive?
1. Chapter 1

**::/CID: Heroes of Olympus/::**

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A/N: I've been thinking of doing a crossover story for quite a while. Recently, I started reading the Percy Jackson series, and all of a sudden the idea hit me. :D

If you're a CIDian who's not very familiar with Percy Jackson or Greek mythology in general, this might be a little confusing, but if you get any doubts I'll be happy to clear them.

Be warned: This story does NOT ship Abhirika or Rajat/Purvi. I'd appreciate it if people don't give me grief about it, please. :)

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Mist swirled around a large cavern that would have been thoroughly shrouded in darkness if it were not for the torches burning on the walls, their flames glowing an eerie shade of green. They cast monstrous shadows everywhere, distorting the shapes of the occupants of the place until they were unrecognisable.

"It is time?" asked a deep voice, echoing around the cavern.

"Nearly, my lord," whispered another voice, shaking slightly, and the man it belonged to gulped nervously as he knelt before a dark figure perched on a large rock. "They will never anticipate this."

A cold, cruel laugh rang in the air, and the kneeling man winced. He was large and portly, with dark skin, greying hair and round, slightly bloodshot eyes. The first voice spoke again. "I don't expect them to. Pradyuman was always too proud for his own good. He thinks being the son of Zeus makes him capable of vanquishing any enemy. Ah, if only he knew." Another spine-chilling laugh reverberated around the cavern, and the kneeling man shuddered visibly, his colour dropping several shades.

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Meanwhile, far away, a man was pacing back and forth outside a building, occasionally checking his watch and staring down the road. He was dressed in a dark suit, looking for all the world like any ordinary corporate or businessman. Just one look in his eyes, however, was enough to let anyone know that this man was the furthest thing possible from ordinary. He cast a brief glance towards the sky, his eyes closing. _Father, give me strength._

Thunder rumbled, faint and distant, and the man smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, just as a silver car pulled up in front of him. The man's smile broadened as he stepped forward. "About time!" he said reprovingly, and the driver of the car grinned broadly as he leaned over to open the passenger door. "Sorry, old boy! I was held up by a little disagreement between Freddy and Sudhakar." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Pradyuman, those two are even more difficult than the kids."

"Come on, Salunkhe," laughed Pradyuman, buckling his seat belt as Salunkhe adjusted his glasses before driving off. "How are the kids doing?" asked Pradyuman, and Salunkhe groaned. "Don't even get me started. They're driving me mad. The sooner you get there, the better."

A short while later, the car pulled into a large garage which was already half-full of assorted vehicles. The two men got down, Salunkhe slipping the car key into his pocket as they left the garage and made their way up a long path that led to what looked like a forest. It was, however, merely a dense wall of trees and bushes, surrounding an enormous campsite that was the size of a cricket stadium. Instead of tents, however, there were small cabins everywhere, built in different styles. Each was decorated distinctively and all of them were arranged in the form of a huge semicircle, at the centre of which was a large building twice the size of the others. Outside this building stood two men.

One of them was big and friendly-looking, with a round, cheerful face. He wore an orange polo shirt and jeans under a navy blue jacket. The other, however, wore only a dark green shirt- the lower half of his body was that of a brown horse. He had an intelligent, serious face, with neatly combed hair. Both of them smiled as Pradyuman and Salunkhe approached. "Freddy, Sudhakar," Pradyuman greeted, shaking hands with them. "All well, I trust?"

"All is well, sir, except that you were sorely missed," Sudhakar informed him with a smile, and Freddy nodded vigorously. "We had quite a time with the kids!" he exclaimed, mopping his brow in a gesture of weariness. "And if there's one thing I've learned... it's to never put the sun and rain in the same place."

Salunkhe shuddered. "I never want to deal with _that _again." He checked his watch. "It's nearly dinnertime, shall we go assemble the kids?"

"Right," agreed Pradyuman, and Sudhakar reached up and rang the bell that hung outside the building. As soon as he started, people emerged from the cabins, gathering outside their respective residences, and Freddy stepped forward, clapping his hands for attention. "Assembly begins now!" he called, and everyone fell silent as he pulled a small notebook and a pen from his jacket pocket. "Zeus cabin!" he called, and Aditi, a petite woman in a denim jacket, strode forward. She was followed by her younger brother, Vivek. Technically, though, he was her half-brother, as they were both children of Zeus. It was the same with all the children of each god or goddess.

Aditi and Vivek reached the middle of the semicircle, just as Freddy called out the next on his list. "Poseidon cabin!"

A tall, powerfully built man came forward- Daya, the son of Poseidon. He was accompanied by his younger sister, Tasha. She was as dainty as her brother was muscular, with large dark eyes and long, flowing hair. The two of them came and stood near Aditi and Vivek, and Freddy ticked off their cabin name on his list before calling for the next. "Apollo cabin!"

Before he had even finished calling, Abhijeet was striding forward purposefully, his hair rippling in the breeze. His younger siblings, Ajatshatru and Anushka, followed at a more relaxed pace. Abhijeet came to a halt near Daya just as Ajatshatru and Anushka caught up with him.

"Athena cabin!"

Rajat, the son of Athena, a man with an intelligent face and gentle eyes, proceeded to the middle of the semicircle. With him were his three sisters- Niyati and Nyla walked on either side of their brother while Tarika, the youngest, brought up the rear.

"Ares cabin!" called Freddy, and Asha, a tough-looking woman, led her two younger siblings, Muskaan and Vineet, to the centre. The daughters of Aphrodite- Lavanya, Divyana and Shreya- were next, followed by Sachin and Nikhil, the sons of Hephaestus. Finally, to complete the assembly, Daksh, Kaveri and Purvi, the children of Hermes, came to join their fellow demigods. Pradyuman moved forward, his eyes shining with pride as he beamed around at all of them. "Heroes of Olympus, the best CID officers in the world!" he called, and everyone applauded and cheered. "The sight of all of you, so many great powers united in one place, gives me more happiness than anything, and I am _so glad_ to be back with you all!"

"And _we're_ so glad to have you back, sir!" called Abhijeet, grinning broadly as everyone cheered again. Pradyuman smiled at him, but a shadow crossed his face the next minute as he held up his hands for silence. "However... there are dark times approaching. Very soon, we'll be facing things far worse than anything we've faced so far. As of now, I can't tell you more than this, but I can tell you that the only way to get through it is to be prepared for the worst."

Daya spoke, his voice breaking through the blanket of silence that had fallen over the gathering of demigods. "We'll be ready, sir."

"What's coming will come, and we'll meet it when it does," Rajat added in his calm, wise tones, and an enthusiastic murmur of assent rose from the crowd. As the stars began to appear in the night sky, Pradyuman looked up at the constellations of all the great heroes of the past who were twinkling down at their heirs. One way or another, the demigods would win the forthcoming battle. They had to.

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A/N: OK, this chapter was only for introductions! The REAL story begins in the next one, so stay tuned! :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Since a lot of people were confused, let me give a small intro to the Percy Jackson series. It's mainly centred around people who are demigods or 'half-bloods', i.e. they have one human parent and one Greek god parent. Their main work is to fight and kill monsters, and protect their Olympian civilisation (that's why they're also called heroes of Olympus). Now I'm doing the same in this story... except that I'm replacing all the Percy Jackson heroes with our CID officers and forensic experts. All of them are demigods (except Sudhakar, who's a centaur- half man and half horse). And just so you guys can follow the story a little better, I've included the following.

Brief Glossary of Gods

**Zeus**- King of Gods. God of the sky and justice. Father of Pradyuman, Aditi and Vivek.

**Poseidon**- God of the sea, storms, earthquakes and hurricanes. Father of Daya and Tasha.

**Hades**- God of the Underworld, riches and death. Father of HD.

**Apollo**- God of the sun, archery, light, healing, truth, prophecy, music, poetry etc. Father of Abhijeet, Ajatshatru and Anushka.

**Athena**- Goddess of wisdom, battle strategy and innovation. Mother of Dr. Salunkhe, Rajat, Niyati, Nyla and Tarika.

**Ares**- God of war, conflict and rage. Father of Asha, Muskaan, Kajal and Vineet.

**Aphrodite**- Goddess of love and beauty. Mother of Lavanya, Divyana and Shreya.

**Hephaestus**- Blacksmith of Gods. God of fire and metalworking. Father of Sachin and Nikhil.

**Hermes**- Messenger of Gods. God of travellers, communication, thieves and trickery. Father of Daksh, Kaveri and Purvi.

**Dionysus**- God of wine, celebration, theatre and madness. Father of Freddy.

**Demeter**- Goddess of agriculture, harvest and the seasons. Mother of Manisha.

**Hecate**- Goddess of magic.

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"Incoming!" a female voice bellowed as Purvi swooped down from the roof of the Hermes cabin on a motorised hang-glider, nearly knocking Vineet over as he watched Sachin and Nikhil fix the wheel of a chariot. "Watch it!" he yelled after his friend, and she winced. "Sorry!" she called back at Vineet over her shoulder, and ACP Pradyuman smiled as she glided right over his head, laughing gleefully.

In the lake, Daya and Tasha were holding a swimming race. They were evenly matched, however- though Daya was more powerful, Tasha had the advantage of lightness and flexibility. As one of Abhijeet's arrows shot through the air, Daya sailed upwards, riding on a wave, and caught the arrow with a grin, tossing it back to his best friend as he himself sank smoothly back down into the lake. "Stop showing off, Seaweed Brain," Abhijeet scolded, and Tasha giggled as she rose out of the water, resting on the bank. She wore a green swimsuit and her damp hair was streaming down her back, giving her the appearance of a water nymph. "We'll stop showing off our water powers when you stop showing off your shooting skills, Abhijeet."

Abhijeet rolled his eyes down at her. "Shooting skills, and dancing skills, and of course there's my undeniable hotne-" He perked up, lowering his bow as he caught sight of something- or rather, someone. "Excuse me, guys, I'll join you in a minute."

"Good luck!" Tasha called drily at his retreating figure, shaking her head in exasperation. "He'll never learn, will he?"

Daya grinned as he leaned back on the water, backstroking away from the bank. "Nope."

As they spoke, Abhijeet was heading towards the Athena cabin, his whole demeanour exuding a jaunty confidence. Tarika was sitting on the front steps, poring over a large, hard-bound book that lay open on her lap. She wore jeans and a grey T-shirt, her long curls falling forward over her shoulder as she bent over the book. Abhijeet put on his most winning smile as he came up to her, leaning against the wall of the cabin. "Hi."

Tarika glanced up from her book, and her eyes narrowed slightly before her face resumed a neutral expression. "Hi."

"So, what are you doing out here all alone?" asked Abhijeet, coming over and ever so casually sitting down next to her. As soon as he did so, however, Tarika moved a good distance away, to the edge of the step, and returned to her book, turning a page. "Playing cricket," she said curtly.

Abhijeet scooted over so that he was right next to her. "Can I play?" he asked, sweetness seeping into his tone as he flashed her a smile that would have made any other girl lose a good night's sleep. Tarika, however, looked up and glared at him. "Are you _trying _to annoy the hell out of me?" she demanded, and Abhijeet moved back a little, holding up his hands in surrender. "OK, OK, calm down. Looks like you're stressing too much. How about going on a nice long drive to cool off? Just you and me?" he offered, giving her his most persuasively charming look.

Tarika was about to say something not very flattering at all when the door of the cabin suddenly opened and Niyati raised her eyebrows down at Abhijeet. "What's up, Abhijeet? Do you want something?"

"No," Abhijeet said sulkily, shifting a little distance away from Tarika. It was well known that Niyati was the only woman in the CID who was capable of shutting absolutely anyone up, even ACP Pradyuman and Dr. Salunkhe for that matter. Tarika gave her eldest sister a desperately imploring look, and Niyati winked at her before turning to Abhijeet. "Right, what was I-"

"You lot," Rajat called, coming over speedily. "We have to go to the bureau. ACP sir's calling everyone for a meeting." Tarika looked as if she could have hugged her brother then and there, but settled for handing her book to Niyati, who went inside to fetch Nyla just as Abhijeet walked off to find Ajatshatru and Anushka. "Was he flirting with you again?" Rajat asked Tarika, grinning at her. Though of course he loved all his sisters, she was undoubtedly his pet. She winced, brushing her curls out of her face. "Don't ask. Seriously, I don't know why he can't just leave me alone."

"I think he's got the hots for you, little sis," Nyla put in helpfully as she and Niyati caught up with their siblings, and Niyati snorted. "Nyla, he flirts with almost every girl in this camp, not just Tarika. Are you saying he's got the hots for all of them?"

"Guy as hot as he is, you never know," quipped Nyla, smirking, and Rajat chuckled as they entered the bureau. "OK, enough about him already. I think ACP sir has something important to tell us. Usually he just calls the leaders of each cabin, but this time he's called everyone."

"Must be something serious," agreed Daya as he passed by with Tasha in tow. Both of them wore blue-green T-shirts with tridents printed on the front and their father's name, Poseidon, on the back in Ancient Greek letters. Once everyone was assembled in the conference room, which actually consisted only of a very long table surrounded by a lot of chairs, ACP Pradyuman got to his feet. He looked very grim indeed as he addressed the gathering.

"Team... I'm afraid I have some very bad news indeed. Have you all heard of HD?"

The name evoked an instant reaction from most of the demigods. Abhijeet's eyes flashed dangerously, Daya's expression hardened, Vivek and Tasha exchanged dark looks and Tarika bit her lip, frowning at the table. Rajat covered his youngest sister's hand with his own, his face shadowed with anxiety and his eyes wary as he looked at ACP Pradyuman. The newer officers, however, such as Nikhil, Shreya, Vineet and Purvi, looked puzzled. "Who's HD?" asked Nikhil curiously.

Abhijeet opened his mouth at once, but curiously enough, it was Rajat who answered the question, his voice low and his gaze, like Tarika's, fixed on the table. "Harpis Dongara. The son of Hades, Lord of Death. He was in the CID once upon a time, before he turned against the Olympians and went to join his father in the Underworld. He caused quite a bit of trouble for us a couple of years ago... kidnapped many of the half-bloods one by one and tried to destroy them. The tables were turned on him, though, and Abhijeet shot him." He inclined his head in Abhijeet's direction, and the latter nodded back rather stiffly. Though Rajat hadn't been in the CID when this case had actually happened, he had heard more than enough about it to know the whole story.

"Quite right, Rajat." Sudhakar nodded. "Now it's come to our attention that HD's been resurrected. His soul's been restored to a new body in the Underworld. And..." he hesitated, looking at ACP Pradyuman, who spoke up. "He's planning to attack Olympus, the home of the gods."

"What?" exclaimed several demigods at once, Abhijeet and Daya actually jumping to their feet and staring at the ACP in shock. Rajat exchanged glances with his sisters, all of whom looked as anxious as he felt. Asha, on the other hand, merely looked impatient. "Well, what are we sitting here for, then? We should be out there, fighting!" she barked, and her sentiments were echoed by several people all around the table. ACP Pradyuman held up his hands to silence them. "Wait, wait! That's not all." His frown deepened. "Just before we got the news about HD, the Oracle made a prophecy."

Everyone stared at him, looking nonplussed. Dr. Salunkhe, clearing his throat, took a small scroll of paper from his pocket and read aloud:

_"The powers of the gods once more shall unite,_

_To prepare themselves for the ultimate fight._

_Nine half-bloods shall head forth to the west,_

_But only five will remain till the end of the quest._

_A lost demigod shall be found on the way,_

_And one of his own kin a hero shall slay."_

For several minutes, there was total silence in the room. Then, all at once, it erupted.

"Nine half-bloods go and only _five _remain at the end? Are you kidding me?" Daya exclaimed. "We're going to lose _four _people?"

"What's that about a lost demigod?" demanded Niyati.

"Someone's going to kill his own kin?" Abhijeet said in disbelief. "As in, his own _sibling?" _He shook his head, as though he could change the prophecy by disagreeing with it. "No. No way." Beside him, Ajatshatru and Anushka looked warily at each other.

"Way," Dr. Salunkhe said heavily. "It's happened several times before."

"It all comes down to how much faith you have in your siblings, and how strong your sense of family bonds is. Many times, however... the heroes just find they have no choice," Freddy said. His wife Manisha nodded in agreement, and ACP Pradyuman sighed, his face clouding over for a minute before he stood and rapped on the table for attention. "All right. To return to the matter at hand... it's evident who should lead this quest." He turned to his most trusted officer. "Abhijeet, select your companions."

Abhijeet stood up at once. "Sir, I don't have to take eight people with me if it means four of us will be in danger. We can manage with just five of us going."

"I doubt that'll work, Abhijeet," Rajat said quietly. "Prophecies can't be changed. Even if you don't take eight of us with you, there _will_ be nine half-bloods on this quest one way or another." He raised his head, his calm dark eyes meeting Abhijeet's blazing ones. "And you should know this better than anyone, Abhijeet. Your father Apollo is the god of prophecy, after all."

Not even Abhijeet could think of anything to say to that. Instead, he merely glared at Rajat and looked around at the other demigods. "OK, so if I do have to take eight people... Daya," he said, turning to his best friend, who grinned back at him. "Then-"

"Hang on!" Asha thumped her hand on the table, fixing Abhijeet with an angry stare. "This isn't fair! Kajal hasn't returned to camp yet, how can you start selecting just like that when there are officers missing?"

"Asha," Sudhakar called across the table. "Kajal is involved in her own quest. You know the law- one quest isn't supposed to interfere with another." Asha glowered. "Very well. Then I won't be a part of this quest," she declared violently. "Abhijeet, you'll have to take one of my siblings instead." Abhijeet was ready. "Muskaan? Coming?" he asked.

"You bet I am," Muskaan told him emphatically. "I haven't been on a quest for _months_. And believe me, there's nothing more tiring for a child of Ares than sitting quietly." Daya smirked at her, and she grinned back at him as Abhijeet, looking as though he had been forced to swallow a lemon, turned to Rajat. "Rajat, I suppose we'll need you too. You'll come, right?"

"Of course," Rajat nodded gravely, and Abhijeet looked at Aditi, his expression unchanging. "Aditi?"

"No." Aditi shook her head, looking decisive. "I already led the last quest. I won't go on this one- Vivek will." She put a hand on her younger brother's shoulder. "He deserves his chance as much as anyone else."

"Right," Abhijeet agreed. Sachin was next, followed by Purvi. Abhijeet frowned- there were only seven people in the team so far, including himself. "Sir," he called to ACP Pradyuman. "There are only seven cabins in the camp. All of them have been represented. And yet, the prophecy clearly says _nine _half-bloods."

What happened next was something no one had expected. As Abhijeet spoke, Tarika got to her feet, her face set and determined. "I'm coming."

The effect was immediate. "What?" Niyati and Nyla exclaimed in unison, and Abhijeet's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?" he demanded, gaping at Tarika. "You are most definitely _not _joining this quest if I can help it!" he said firmly, and Tarika glared at him. "Yes I am, and you can't stop me, Sunshine. Whether you're prepared to admit it or not, you guys need me."

"Tarika-" Dr. Salunkhe started, but she turned fiercely pleading eyes on him. "Sir, please. You _know _it's true. I have to go on this quest." Her voice cracked slightly. "I need to know..." She fell silent, and Abhijeet seized the opportunity to continue his tirade. "Didn't you hear the prophecy, Tarika? Don't you realise how dangerous it is to have two children of the same god- in this case, goddess- on this quest, when we know a hero's going to end up killing his own-"

He was cut off in mid-flow by a flash of bronze as Tarika pulled out her knife, her face livid and her eyes blazing with rage as she held the celestial blade to his neck. "Don't... you... _dare_," she breathed, and in that moment Abhijeet was very powerfully reminded of the fact that Tarika's mother, Athena, was the goddess of battle strategy as well as wisdom.

"That's enough!" Rajat was on his feet now. He caught his sister's hand, taking the knife from her and making her sit back down. She glowered up at Abhijeet. "I'm coming, all right? I trust my brother enough to know that if I'm in any danger, he'll be the one protecting me from it, not putting me in it." Her tone had such finality in it that no one dared to question her. Rather, it was Tasha's turn to rise. "Abhijeet, I'm coming too."

"Tasha..." Daya was shocked. "Sis, it really isn't a good-"

"OK, Tasha," Abhijeet interrupted. The fight seemed to have gone out of him after Tarika's little onslaught. "You can be the ninth one." He met Daya's gaze. "I trust Daya with my life, and yours too." Tarika smiled at Tasha before scowling darkly up at Abhijeet, taking Rajat's arm in a gesture of support as her brother gave her a faint, rueful smile.

"All right, then." ACP Pradyuman stood up, as did everyone else. "The nine of you should be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon. Everyone else, please help them make sure they're prepared sufficiently."

As the demigods filed out of the bureau, led by Manisha, ACP Pradyuman exchanged glances with Dr. Salunkhe, Sudhakar and Freddy. All of them looked grim- this was the quest that would decide the fate of Olympus. The heroes would have to succeed at any cost.

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A/N: I'm pretty sure I already know what everyone's going to say in the reviews, but please review anyway. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! :)

A part of this chapter is based on a true incident that happened in recent times.

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"Everything ready?" Freddy asked as Manisha fussed over the nine demigods who would be going on the quest. At present she was braiding Purvi's ponytail and trying to convince Sachin that his entire toolkit would not exactly be necessary for a quest. "Yes, Freddy sir, we're all ready! You must have asked us that question ten times already!" Tasha pointed out in a long-suffering tone, and Vivek smiled as he hugged Freddy. "He's just worried, Tasha. I'd be the same if I wasn't going on the quest."

"You got that right," said a voice, and everyone turned to see Niyati, Nyla, Ajatshatru and Anushka approaching them. They were leading a group of winged horses- pegasi, the emergency transport of the demigods. Daya and Tasha immediately went to greet the pegasi, as was usual for them. Since their father Poseidon, the Sea God, was the creator of horses, they could communicate telepathically with any species in the horse family.

"Hey, Angel," Tasha said, patting the mane of her favourite white pegasus. "Do you mind taking two passengers at once?"

_I hope it's not you and your mighty brother, my lady,_ Angel replied warily, tapping his hoof, and Tasha giggled. "No, darling, it's me and my friend here. The daughter of Athena." Tarika smiled and held out her hand, and Angel gently rubbed his muzzle against her palm. _I like her very much! _he said approvingly.

Daya, meanwhile, was having a discussion with his own black pegasus, Tornado. "How are you doing, champ? Feel up to a long journey?" he asked softly, and Tornado whinnied. _I thought you'd never ask, my lord! I was going crazy in that stable! _he complained, and Daya laughed as he patted Tornado's mane and hugged him around the neck. "I know, yaar."

"All right, you two," Abhijeet instructed Ajatshatru and Anushka as he mounted Hero, his palomino pegasus. "Take care of the others while I'm gone, you hear? And you know what to say if the media come nosing around."

"We will," Ajatshatru affirmed.

"We know," Anushka said, nodding.

Nearby, Niyati and Nyla were doing a last-minute check-up on Rajat and Tarika.

"Coats?" Niyati asked.

"Check," Rajat said.

"Extra supplies?" Nyla asked.

"Check," Tarika said.

"Emergency mobile?" Niyati questioned, turning to Tarika, and the latter nodded. "Check," she replied, and Niyati and Nyla pulled their siblings into a group hug. "We're gonna miss you," Nyla said, sounding as though she was trying not to cry, and Rajat smiled. "So are we," he assured her, and Niyati gave him an extra hug. "Look after Tarika," she told him, and Tarika made a noise of protest. "I can take care of myself," she said indignantly, and Nyla grinned as she reached up to pat her sister's curly head. "We know you can."

Everyone mounted their pegasi. As there were only six pegasi available at the moment, Tarika, Muskaan and Sachin had to tag along with Tasha, Purvi and Vivek respectively. Once everyone was on, the pegasi broke into a gallop before taking a flying leap and soaring into the air, their wings spreading gracefully.

"Knock 'em dead!" Niyati yelled.

"Bring us back some souvenirs!" Nyla shouted.

"Be home soon!" Anushka called, and took a step back as the pegasi became mere silhouettes in the distance. "And be safe," she whispered as Ajatshatru put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "They will," he said quietly. "They have to."

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"OK, who has Coke? Pass me some, I need to stay awake," mumbled Abhijeet as he leaned against Hero's flank, shutting his eyes and suppressing a yawn. Daya pulled a bottle out of his supplies bag and tossed it at his best friend, who caught it one-handed. Taking a gulp, Abhijeet let out a small burp as he passed the bottle into Tasha's waiting hand.

Meanwhile, Muskaan was making up a fire, accompanied by Sachin, and Rajat and Vivek were skipping rocks over the surface of the sea as Purvi sat nearby, combing her hair and occasionally calling out suggestions to improve the rocks' progress.

Looking around, Daya suddenly noticed that Tarika was missing. He got to his feet, frowning slightly, and wandered a little distance from the others in search of her. Soon enough, he saw her sitting on the rocks, staring out at the sea. She was hugging her knees, looking strangely lost. His curiosity sparked, Daya went over to her. "Tarika?"

She gave a start and looked up. "Oh. Daya." He sat down beside her, not waiting for an invitation. "What are you thinking about?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows down at her, and Tarika smiled ruefully. "Things."

Daya was about to reply, when a question that had been at the back of his mind for a long time occurred to him. "Hey, Tarika... can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you hate Abhijeet so much?" Daya asked tentatively. "I mean, why do you... I don't know... why do you fight with him whenever he comes in front of you?"

To his surprise, Tarika seemed to have been expecting the question. She let out a mirthless laugh, pushing her curls back from her face. "I don't _hate _him, you know. I'd get along with him perfectly fine if he didn't insist on flirting with me all the time. And if he stopped labouring under the delusion that he knows everything." She scowled at the rocks beneath her sneakered feet. "It's all the more annoying considering the fact that my mother is the _wisdom _goddess."

Even Daya couldn't help grinning at that. "Well, yeah, he tends to be like that sometimes. But really... why don't you just give him a chance? I know he flirts around a lot, but I'm pretty sure he really is interested in you."

Tarika looked at him, her face sad. "If it made any difference, I might have given him a chance, Daya. But it doesn't."

"What do you mean?"

She turned her gaze towards the sea, watching the rippling reflection of the moonlight across the surface of the water. Her voice was faint as she spoke. "Something happened, not very long ago."

_FLASHBACK_

_"C'mon, Purvi, hurry up," Tarika laughed as Purvi hastily retrieved the last of the gold coins from the ground and tossed them into her bag. These were no ordinary coins- they were drachmas, the Olympian currency. "Here, you missed one," said Rajat, handing her another one, and Purvi smiled at him in thanks before putting the drachma into her bag._

_A second later, Purvi's eyes became strangely dazed and unfocused. As Tarika watched in confusion, Rajat took on a similar expression. "Purvi," he said, his voice unnaturally flat and distant-sounding. "Rajat," Purvi replied in the same voice, a silly smile appearing on her face. Her eyes, however, remained blank, and Tarika stared back and forth between the two of them. "Guys... what's going on?"_

_"Purvi," Rajat repeated in the same dazed voice, his empty-looking gaze locked with Purvi's. "Rajat," Purvi said again, her voice toneless, and Tarika, looking closely, saw a strange light in their eyes. It was... pink?_

_"Oh my God," Tarika gasped, realising immediately what the matter was. "Oh no. No. Purvi!" She grabbed Purvi's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Purvi, snap out of it! It's Aphrodite's spell!" Purvi made no response, still staring at Rajat with a blank face and eyes that were now emitting a visible pink glow, and Tarika let go of Purvi and ran over to her brother instead. "Rajat, it's Aphrodite! She's trying to force you two to fall in love!" she said in despair, taking his face in her hands. "Rajat, please, don't let her! Fight it! Please!"_

_She might as well talk to the wall for all the response Rajat showed. "Purvi," he insisted in the same dull voice, stepping forward. At the same time, Purvi took a step towards him as well. "Ra-"_

_"Purvi, wait!" Tarika threw herself between them, catching Purvi by the shoulders once more. She had only one plan, and was pinning all her hopes on it. "Purvi, listen to me. Listen, Purvi! Aphrodite may want you to love my brother, but no one can force you to love anyone you don't! Think about what you want!" Her voice shook, but she focused with difficulty, pulling out her last trump card. "Purvi, remember Vineet!"_

_She yelled the last word, and something seemed to flicker in Purvi's eyes. "Huh...?" she asked in a faint voice, turning to stare blankly at Tarika, and the latter ploughed on relentlessly. "Purvi, remember what you told me the night you came back from your last quest, when you were talking about Vineet? You said you'd never felt like that before... that no one ever made you feel that way before! That's what you want, Purvi, not this. This is what Aphrodite wants, not you! Please, Purvi, remember how you felt- how you feel- about Vineet. That's real, this isn't! Think about it... remember it, remember him! Vineet!" _

_"Vineet!" Purvi gasped, a massive jolt racking her entire body as the pink light vanished from her eyes and she stared up at Tarika, looking thoroughly confused. "What... Vineet... What happened to me?" she demanded, but Tarika had a more pressing problem at the moment- Rajat was still under the spell, and the pink glow was growing stronger and stronger in his eyes. As Tarika and Purvi watched in horror, he took another step towards Purvi, his face now stretched into a silly smile identical to the one Purvi herself had been wearing a few minutes previously._

_"Rajat!" Tarika shouted, turning to face her brother squarely and glaring up at him. "Rajat, don't forget who you are! You're the son of Athena, goddess of wisdom! Your mind is your most powerful weapon, and no one has the right to control it but you yourself! Fight, Rajat! Fight the spell! FOR ATHENA!" she screamed, and Rajat let out a loud gasp, his whole body jerking violently. He stumbled, but quickly regained his balance and looked around, frowning at the girls. "What... what happened to me? Tarika-"_

_He never got to finish his sentence, for the next minute, a brilliant light flashed in front of them, and the form of a woman appeared in it. She was stunningly, breathtakingly beautiful, with eyes and hair that had all the different colours one could imagine. At the moment, however, she appeared as terrible as she was beautiful. "Tarika, daughter of Athena," Aphrodite said, her voice echoing all around. "You've already insulted me once before, by refusing my blessing."_

_"What's she talking about?" Purvi muttered, but Tarika had her answer ready for the goddess of love. "I can't make myself love Abhijeet just to please you, Lady Aphrodite," she said, her voice shaking again. This time, it was out of anger. "I don't love him, and I will not play with my life to suit your whims."_

_"Very well, then," Aphrodite's voice grew hard, her divine eyes flashing a hundred different colours all at once. "Daughter of Athena, I will avenge this insult. From this moment, you live under my curse!" She pointed at Tarika, who stood her ground and glared defiantly back at the goddess as Aphrodite spoke. "You, Tarika, will love only one man all your life. You will meet him on a dangerous quest, and if he leaves you, you will never find love again. Never. This is my revenge... my curse!"_

_As she spoke the last words, a jet of white light shot out of her finger and hit Tarika straight in the chest. As Rajat and Purvi watched, frozen, swirls of pink light emerged from Tarika's chest, as though the white light was sucking something right out of Tarika. And then, as suddenly as it had come, the light vanished, and Rajat and Purvi caught Tarika, shutting their eyes and covering hers just as Aphrodite assumed her true divine form and disappeared in a flood of light. The true forms of the gods had the power to incinerate anyone on the spot if they made the mistake of looking at them._

_No sooner had Aphrodite gone, than Tarika slumped to the ground, unconscious. Rajat dropped to his knees beside her, tears streaming down his face as he lifted his sister's limp body into his lap. "Tarika, get up. Please, sis, you have to get up. Tarika, please..."_

_"Uh..." Tarika groaned, stirring slightly, and winced as she opened her eyes. Purvi's eyes, too, were full of tears as she caught her friend's hand. Tarika looked at her and Rajat in turn, frowning slightly as she tried to say something. "What is it?" Rajat asked urgently, touching his sister's face, and Tarika made a sound that was halfway between a cough and a gasp. "Don't... Don't tell..."_

_"Don't tell?" Purvi prompted._

_"Don't tell anyone about this," Tarika said in a hoarse whisper. "No one... please..." With that, she lapsed into unconsciousness once more, her hair soaking up her brother's falling tears._

_END FLASHBACK_

"You- you're under a-" Daya found himself at a complete loss for words as he stared at Tarika, who smiled wryly. "Uh-huh." She picked up a small pebble and examined it for a while before tossing it aside. "If you don't mind, could I just be alone for a while?"

"Yeah." He quickly got to his feet, and was about to head back to join the others when Tarika's voice stopped him. "And Daya?"

Daya turned to meet her gaze. "Don't tell Abhijeet, all right? Please." She turned back to face the sea, staring out at the view as though not really seeing it. "I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Especially not him." There was clear finality in her voice, the same finality that had made Abhijeet agree to let her join the quest.

As she heard Daya walk off, Tarika glanced up at the sky. "I wish I could see you, Maa," she whispered. "I need you."

Her voice was barely audible even to her own ears, but Tarika knew her mother could hear her. Her only hope, however, was that Athena was actually listening.

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A/N: How was this chapter? Might have been kind of boring, but it's mainly to explain why this story, and Tarika herself, seem to be so against Abhirika. As always, reviews are welcome. :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this anymore, but since I have the entire story pretty much planned out I figured I'd better finish what I started.

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"I think we should send the pegasi home now," mentioned Tasha as they all landed on an island. She slid neatly off Angel's back and caught Tarika's hand to steady her as the latter hopped down. Angel rubbed his muzzle against Tasha's hand sadly, and she hugged him around the neck. "Bye, sweetie."

_If you ever need me, I'm just a whistle away_, Angel reminded her. _And my lady... watch your back._

"I will," Tasha assured him. Nearby, Rajat hopped down from Solomon, his brown pegasus, and patted his glossy black mane. "We'll be back soon, old friend. Take care of the girls, all right?" Solomon neighed, bumping his muzzle gently against Rajat's face, and Rajat sighed as he gave the pegasus a one-armed hug. "Keep listening for a signal, OK, Sol? There's no telling when I might need you."

Meanwhile, Daya and Tornado were having an emotional farewell of their own. _It doesn't feel right to leave you, my lord_, the pegasus was complaining as Daya stroked his silky jet-black mane. _Especially knowing how much danger you'll be in-_

"My favourite kind," Daya quipped, grinning, and Tornado whinnied indignantly. _It's not funny! Even for a powerful demigod like yourself._

"I know," said Daya, sobering up. "But there's a job to do, and someone's got to do it. That's how we roll." He smiled and gave Tornado a quick hug. "I'll miss you, big guy."

_Big guy, am I? Look who's talking,_ Tornado snorted. _And I'll miss you too, my lord. Come home soon, will you?_

"I'll try," Daya promised, and looked over at Abhijeet, who had just gotten off Hero. "Here you go, Hero," he said, producing a small packet of sugar cubes from his coat pocket and holding them out to the pegasus, who scarfed them down in a single mouthful and neighed happily. Abhijeet glanced questioningly at Daya, who rolled his eyes in amusement. "He said thank you, of course."

"Did you?" Abhijeet asked, raising his eyebrows at Hero, who tossed his mane. "I'll take that as a yes. Go on, then." He patted Hero's flank, and the pegasus' wings drooped slightly as he went over to join the other pegasi. "We love you!" Tasha shouted after them as they took off, soaring gracefully off into the distance until their silhouettes faded against the sunset. "Let's get a move on before dark," Abhijeet ordered, glancing at his watch. "We have a long way to go. Girls, I hope you're all feeling up to it?"

Needless to say, all four of the girls looked ready to murder him then and there. "I'm sorry, _what?" _Tarika said, narrowing her eyes at him, and he wisely decided against pursuing the issue. "OK then. Come on, everyone."

The journey into the complicated caverns was a relatively uneventful one. Abhijeet, of course, walked at the head of the group, holding his bow as though it was his only lifeline. Daya was beside him, one hand clutching a ballpoint pen. Tasha, Vivek and Purvi were on Daya's other side, and Rajat, Tarika, Muskaan and Sachin were on Abhijeet's other side. No one spoke much- everyone was too intently observing the surroundings for the slightest hint of danger.

It was Vivek who first saw it- a faint gold-orange glow in the distance, casting a dull golden light and dark shadows over everything. "What's that?" he asked at once, his voice echoing all around. Sachin stepped forward, a look of comprehension dawning on his face as he stared at the orange glow. "It's fire."

He was right- sure enough, as they approached, the sight that met their eyes was unlike any other. A giant wall of fire lay before them, stretching from the ground all the way up to the ceiling of the cavern. As far as they could see, there was no way around it either.

"Now what are we gonna do?" asked Purvi worriedly, looking around at the others. Abhijeet instinctively glanced at Daya. "Is there any way you could-?"

"No." Daya shook his head, casting a cursory glance around the cavern. "We're a bit too far from the sea for me to be able to summon its power all the way in here. And even if I could... the water I'd need for _this _fire..." he shook his head again, more vigorously this time. "Bad idea. If I tried anything of the kind, only Tasha and I would survive after that."

"Great," muttered Abhijeet. "Now what?"

Sachin, meanwhile, was slowly moving towards the wall of fire. His brows were furrowed in a slight frown as he stared up at it, the reflection of the flames flickering in his eyes.

"Uh, Sachin...?" Rajat asked tentatively. "Are you all right?"

Sachin turned to face them, his face grimly determined. "I think I know what to do." He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, steeling himself. "You guys should probably stand back," he cautioned, and everyone quickly moved back a good distance. Daya and Rajat caught their sisters' hands reflexively, and the team held their breath as Sachin raised his hands, concentrating with all his might. As they watched, small flames danced across his palms, and Sachin held out his hands towards the wall of fire, his whole body rigid with the force of his concentration. "Come on, Sachin," Daya whispered under his breath, his grip momentarily tightening on Tasha's hand in anxiety.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a slight rumbling sound as the walls of the cavern seemed to shake, and Sachin moved his hands apart a little. A small crack appeared in the centre of the fire wall, slowly widening, bit by bit. Purvi gasped in amazement. "What..."

A violent shudder passed through Sachin, and the cavern literally shook as he forced the wall of fire to cleave into two, leaving a considerable gap in between. "Go!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and shaking as fire swirled around his arms, swiftly moving up towards his body. "Hurry up!" His fellow demigods needed no encouragement- everyone dashed through the gap, Vivek pulling Tarika through just as the wall started to close. "Sachin!" Rajat yelled frantically through the gap that was now closing faster and faster. _"Sachin!"_

The wall closed up completely, just as it had been before, and for a minute everyone just stared at it, horrorstruck. The next second, however, Sachin burst right through the wall, his whole body ablaze. Tasha screamed, and Vivek made a strangled noise of horror. Sachin, however, didn't seem to feel the fire at all- he merely stumbled around, trying to regain his balance, before finally collapsing onto the ground. As soon as he had done so, the flames began to fade, and Tarika gasped as she understood right away. "It's the blessing of Hephaestus!" she exclaimed, pointing to the fire surrounding Sachin's body- it was now merely a dull golden-orange glow. "That's how he got through the fire unharmed."

"Whoa," Muskaan murmured in awe. "Only one day into the quest, and already one of us got his dad's blessing." She looked around at the others. "If that isn't a good sign, I don't know what it is."

"Right," agreed Daya, and looked at Abhijeet, who was still goggling at Sachin. Before he could say anything, however, Sachin let out a sound halfway between a gasp and a cough, and Vivek, Tarika, Rajat and Muskaan immediately knelt beside him. "Leave..." Sachin sputtered. "L-leave... me... can't go on," he wheezed, and took several deep breaths. "Easy, now," Rajat urged, patting his shoulder.

Once Sachin had revived to some extent, he exhaled gustily and sat up slowly. "I can't go on this quest anymore," he said, his voice slightly winded. "Controlling that fire..." he shook his head. "It drained me completely. I'm not going to be of any use on this quest now- I'll just slow you guys down."

"It's OK," Daya said, patting his shoulder, and Abhijeet, who had finally collected himself, nodded. "Yeah, I guess we'd better get you back to camp." He looked around at the others. "Anyone, any ideas?"

"I have one," said Tasha slowly, getting to her feet. "But I'm not sure if it'll work here..."

"What is it?" Abhijeet asked at once, and Tasha looked up at him. "Just give me a few minutes, will you? I'll take him."

"No, wait. I'll come with you." Daya stepped forward and gently hauled Sachin to his feet. "I don't think he can walk yet." He glanced over his shoulder at Abhijeet. "You guys stay here, all right? We won't be long."

"But how will you get him out?" asked Vivek.

"Hmm..." Daya scanned the surroundings, and his gaze immediately fell upon an opening in the wall of the cavern. "Aha. Come on, Tasha." Both of them went there, Daya supporting Sachin, and Tasha knelt on the floor, leaning her head slightly over the edge. Putting her fingers into her mouth, she let out a shrill, strangely musical-sounding whistle just as everyone gathered around them. "Are you calling Angel?" Purvi asked curiously, and Daya grinned. "Nope."

No sooner had the word left his mouth, than something big and bright emerged from the surface of the sea, several feet down below. "A hippocampus!" Rajat and Tarika said in unison as everyone else stared in wonderment at the creature. Its top half was that of a white horse, but the lower half was that of a fish. As it swam towards the rocks, the scales of its fish tail shimmered a hundred different colours. Daya fixed his gaze upon the water, concentration in his face, and at once a large wave rose up to the same level as the floor everyone stood on. "OK, Sachin, hold on," said Daya, and Sachin caught hold of his shoulders as Daya stepped onto the wave. "Careful," Abhijeet warned.

Daya helped Sachin climb onto the hippocampus' back, showing him how to hold on without sliding off. He then whispered something into its ear, and patted Sachin on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll get you home safely."

"She?" echoed Vivek, and Tasha laughed. "Yeah, she's a girl hippocampus. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Very," Tarika agreed, grinning, and Sachin waved up to everyone. "Good luck, you guys!" he called, and he and the hippocampus were gone in a flash of rainbow scales. Daya rode up on the wave, and it sank smoothly back down into the sea as Abhijeet and Tasha pulled him back into the cavern.

As they all moved on, Rajat suddenly seemed to realise something, and his face grew grim. "So it's started," he muttered to himself.

"What?" Tarika questioned, giving her brother a curious look, and Rajat caught her arm so that they both hung slightly back from the others. "The prophecy, remember?" he asked her in an undertone. "_'Nine half-bloods shall head forth to the west, but only five will remain till the end of the quest'? O_ne of the four people who won't remain... I think he just left."

Tarika's eyes widened. "Oh my God." She looked towards the others, and her face clouded in anxiety. "I just hope the remaining three go as safely as Sachin did."

"What's all the whispering about, Wise Guys?" Abhijeet shouted over his shoulder. "Hurry up, already!" Rajat and Tarika didn't wait to be told twice- they quickly rushed to catch up with the others.

If they thought their shocks were over for the day, however, they couldn't have been more wrong, for no sooner had they reached what seemed to be the back of the cavern than suddenly, there was a loud rumbling noise, and before anyone could move, a shower of rocks fell from the ceiling.

"Bloody hell!" swore several people in unison as everyone leaped backwards to avoid the rocks. "What on earth?" sputtered Daya, coughing as an enormous cloud of dust rose from the fallen rocks. Abhijeet, however, whipped an arrow from the quiver that hung at his back, fitting it into his bow and aiming into the cloud of dust, behind which a dark figure was slowly becoming discernible. Noticing it, Daya took his ballpoint pen from his pocket. His thumb hovered over the cap, ready to open it at a moment's notice.

As he did so, the dust cleared enough for the person to come into view. It was a dark, rather scruffy-looking man, with untidy hair that fell over his forehead. He was dressed in beaten-up jeans and a dingy green plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. A backpack hung from one shoulder, and the black sneakers he wore, strangely enough, had small wings- actual, honest-to-goodness wings- protruding from either side of each shoe.

Abhijeet aimed his arrow at the newcomer, accompanying it with a deadly glare. "Who are _you _supposed to be? And your godly parent?" he asked, his tone dangerous.

The man blinked, looking at Abhijeet as though the latter had just asked him what colour the sky was. "Brains like that, you could be a Minotaur, dude," he said, and gestured pointedly to the winged sneakers he wore. "I'm Rocky. Son of Hermes. _Duh_."

Just behind Abhijeet, Purvi's jaw settled itself nicely on the floor.

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A/N: Hehe! :D The fuuuuuuun haaaas arriiiiiiiiived! ;)

By the way, a Minotaur is a kind of monster- imagine a bull's head over a wrestler's body. It's supposed to be kind of dim, which is why Rocky used the allusion. No offense, my dears, of course.

And quick recap- Sachin's father is Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking, which is why Sachin was able to control the fire and go through it unharmed once he got his father's blessing.

Purvi's father is Hermes, the god of travellers, messengers and thieves, who is also Rocky's father. That of course makes them half-siblings, which is why 'her jaw settled itself nicely on the floor'. Also, Hermes is famous for his trademark winged shoes, which is why Rocky called Abhijeet dim for not realising right away (from the winged sneakers he's wearing) who his god parent is.

Daya and Tasha's father, the sea god Poseidon, is also the creator of horses, which is why they can communicate with horses, pegasi and any other animal of the horse species (including hippocampi- half horse and half fish- which is how Tasha was able to summon a hippocampus to take Sachin back to camp).

Interesting fact- Rajat's pegasus is named Solomon after the King Solomon who was known for his wisdom, since Rajat's mother is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle.

I think I've covered everything. Review please! :)


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